Drifting
by Usami
Summary: /Beta/ "If I could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by?"


**Theme set:** Gamma  
This is also posted in the 1sentence community on Livejournal.

Contains major spoilers for the movie. The themes are rearranged to create some kind of semblance of chronological order for the characters' lives, but there might be a lot of skipping around. Two or three sentences might seem to relate to each other, and then the next sentence can suddenly jump to several years later. I also apologize if some of the sentences seem a little bland, but I had some difficulty coming up with worthy sentences given the prompt. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy.

(Summary quoted from the song, "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton)

* * *

**Virtuous**  
When he had the time, he tried to think of ideas to get her clubhouse to Paradise Falls; he crossed his heart, after all, and he didn't want to break a promise.

**Balcony**  
Eventually, he just left his window open for her, since it seemed to be her favorite way of coming to see him.

**Jump**  
Even when he was expecting her to show up, she always found a way to surprise him when she finally arrived.

**Whimsy**  
He soon learned that Ellie had a rather active imagination; she came up with so many crazy stories and ideas, but she'd tell him with such enthusiasm that it was hard _not_ to believe.

**Birthday**  
He usually didn't get the greatest presents, but that didn't matter after he met Ellie; spending time with her was the best gift he could have.

**Solitary**  
Most of the other kids didn't know him, and those who did knew he really only had one friend – but they could never quite figure out how someone like _Ellie _was friends with someone like _him_.

**Bane**  
She was so adventurous, so spirited and carefree…and sometimes he worried that it would get her into trouble one day.

**Valiant**  
Sometimes he wanted to be her knight in shining armor, but it usually felt like _she_ was the one saving him from himself.

**Walking**  
Sometimes she would come by and ask him to go somewhere with her; they never knew where they were going, but he didn't mind getting lost with her.

**Wishes**  
She had so many dreams and ideas that she wanted to carry out, and he wanted nothing more than to make them all come true for her.

**Jewel**  
There was just something about her…actually, _everything_ about her seemed to shine, and being with her made his life so much richer.

**Share**  
She often asked about _his_ secret, if there was something that he never told anyone – it was only fair, she said, since she told him _her_ most precious secret – but he couldn't tell her; after meeting her, he thought he could never tell her _that_ secret.

**War**  
He _wanted _to tell her how he felt…but they've been friends for so long, and something like this could change their relationship; besides, what if she didn't feel the same?

**Jousting**  
He often wondered who Ellie would choose if she had to pick between him and some other guy…and he sometimes worried about the answer.

**Stupidity**  
He felt like such an _idiot_; how could he think that other guys wouldn't be interested in her as well?

**Quitting**  
There were times when he felt like giving up, days when he wanted to let go of his feelings for her…but one look at her smiling face reminded him why he couldn't.

**Nuance**  
He learned enough from his mother to realize that sometimes, when Ellie said she was "fine", she really _meant_ that she wanted to talk about why she wasn't.

**Jester**  
He was normally a reserved person, but playing the fool once in a while was worth hearing the sound of her laughter.

**Sarcasm**  
"You know I was kidding, right?" she asked with a playful roll of her eyes, and he blushed slightly because he _hadn't_ known, but he was still learning, so it was all right.

**Smirk**  
She always wore that triumphant grin when she knew she'd beaten him, but he honestly didn't mind…he usually let her win anyway.

**Serenade**  
They both knew that he didn't sing very well, but she appreciated the gesture anyway.

**Quirks**  
His parents often complained that she was loud, messy, and not very ladylike…but those were things that made her _Ellie_, and he liked her that way.

**Whiskey and rum**  
The first time he ever tried some was when Ellie invited him to her family reunion; as he choked and sputtered, he heard Ellie's uncle remark with a laugh, "He can't seem to hold his liquor down, can he?"

**Weddings**  
As he stood and waited, so many thoughts raced through his mind – _am I ready, what's going to happen after this, how will we work out the rest of our lives_ – but when he saw her coming down the aisle, he knew that this was the best decision he could make.

**Bias**  
Most people thought it was a strange-looking house, but neither of them cared; to them, it was perfect.

**Breathing**  
As he lay there, he listened to the gentle sound of her sleeping, and nothing could erase the smile from his face.

**Natural**  
Her hand always seemed to find its way into his, and he loved how well they seemed to fit together.

**Quarrel**  
They didn't argue very often – there was usually nothing to argue about – but when they did it was never anything serious…usually it was just an excuse to make up later.

**Just**  
As he watched his wife – so still, so silent, so not like herself – he asked how was it fair that someone who wanted children more than anything could never have them?

**Near**  
His greatest comfort was knowing she'd always be right there beside him.

**Question**  
There were days when he'd just watch her and wonder just how he'd been so lucky.

**Quiet**  
Some of his favorite moments were spent just sitting with Ellie in a comfortable silence, letting their presence together tell him everything he needed to know.

**Waltz**  
Sometimes she would just put on some music, and they'd start dancing in the living room; he would take any reason to hold her in his arms.

**Nowhere**  
Looking at the photo of Ellie as a kid, he suddenly remembered all the plans they made for their lives; so many things they still haven't done, places they still haven't seen…and he knew he had to fix that somehow.

**Worry**  
As he sat in the hospital waiting room, he wondered if he'd maybe pushed her too far, asking her to climb the hill once more…that she was here now because of _him._

**Sojourn**  
He always believed that she was meant for better things…he just wished that he could go with her this time.

**Breaking**  
He felt every day, every hour, every _second_, ticking at his soul with a slow pain that made life so much harder without her.

**Soliloquy**  
People passing by always saw old man Fredricksen sitting on his porch and talking to himself…but they understood why he did it.

**Sordid**  
The man in the suit would never understand; their house was worth _so much_ more than any amount of money he could ever offer.

**Defeat**  
He had spent so long and worked so hard to keep their house, but in just a few short hours, he found that he had no choice but to sell it after all.

**Balloon**  
It was a lot of work to do overnight, but to help pass the time he attached a piece of Ellie's memory to each one he filled; there were a million smiles, a thousand kisses, a hundred tears…and a promise that took him this long to realize.

**Horizon**  
He checked the compass to make sure they were going the right way – _It's like America, only south_ – and set their house on its course, smiling as he watched the clouds pass by.

**Wonder**  
He watched in disbelief as Russell asked Ellie if he could keep the bird; not because the kid was trying to talk to his wife, but because Ellie actually _would_ say yes, even though he already said no.

**Burning**  
As the flames caught onto the house, he felt everything – pictures, memories, all that he had left of Ellie – being destroyed, and he had to do whatever he could to save it.

**Neutral**  
None of this was supposed to be his concern, he wasn't supposed to be involved with this…why couldn't everyone just leave him _alone_?

**Victory**  
He finally did it – he finally kept the promise he made all those years ago…and yet…he didn't feel satisfied with himself…as though something was still _wrong _somehow.

**Waste/wasteland**  
He realized (too late) that the only reason he ever wanted to be at Paradise Falls was to be with Ellie; without her, there was no point.

**Sorrow**  
No matter that he'd come to accept it, he still felt the painful loss as he watched his house disappear beneath the clouds.

**Blessing**  
He would always love Ellie, and he still thought of her often…but he finally understood that she would want him to enjoy the life he had now, and to be happy with the ones who helped him live again.

**Belief**  
Some days it was hard, but he did his best to make ever day an adventure; he wanted to have plenty of stories to tell her when he was finally with her again.


End file.
